Eugène Delacroix

Eugène Delacroix was a French painter, a central figure of the Romantic movement in nineteenth-century European art. Trained in Paris under Pierre-Narcisse Guérin, he drew on literature, history, and contemporary events for works such as The Barque of Dante, The Massacre at Chios, The Death of Sardanapalus, and Liberty Leading the People. An 1832 journey through Morocco and Algeria supplied subjects he revisited for decades. He also produced large decorative cycles for Parisian public buildings, including the Palais Bourbon, the Louvre, and the church of Saint-Sulpice. His expressive handling of color and brushwork influenced later Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painters. He kept a detailed Journal throughout his life.